Regional and national politics of memory as an instrument of foreign policy in relations between the Czech Republic and Russia (on the example of the Czechoslovak legions)

Politics of memory plays an increasingly important role in contemporary international relations, both promoting interstate cooperation and contributing to the emergence of conflicts and crises through the emotionalisation of relations between countries. In this article, the authors aim to identify the mutual influence of national and regional politics of memory in the context of its use as a tool of foreign policy on the example of Czech-Russian relations. The main materials of the study are speech acts of mnemonic actors in the Czech Republic and Russia - politicians, public figures, state institutions and public organisations - as commemorative practices in themselves and in connection with the implementation of memorial policy. They are presented mainly in the media and on the official resources of the respective organisations. In addition, laws and international treaties between the Czech Republic and Russia concerning the issues of memorial policy, as well as educational materials - textbooks and brochures - are used for the research. The methodology of the study is based on narrative analysis, through which historical events are conceptualised by representatives of the state. In addition, a case study approach is used, where the main case is the problem of commemorating the Czechoslovak Legion and its activities in Russia during World War I and the Civil War in Czech and Russian politics of memory. These events are important for the formation of Czech identity, as well as the Czech Republic's active politics of memory directed specifically at Russian regions. The study examines specific politics of memory's forms - narrative, educational and memorial - implemented at the national and regional level. The "memorial war" related to monuments to Czechoslovak legionnaires "deployed" in Russian regions is considered separately. In addition, a comparison is made between the politics of memory's influence associated with the image of Czechoslovak legionnaires and the role of politics associated with the Great Patriotic War and the socialist period in the history of Czechoslovakia. The study concludes that the active use of memory politics as an instrument of foreign policy may have little impact on interstate relations due to the absence of contradictions regarding the interpretations of historical events at the national level. It is the national historical memory that plays the main role in the problem of historical memory, the main interpretation of which is still left to the state. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

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